Childen's Museum Approved WITH Vote Count

Written by: Cynthia Fox on Jun 11, 2008 4:18 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Northside DFA, Democracy for Illinois, Greater Lincoln Park DFA

This is one of those things that I thought the group would be interested in seeing.  I have pasted the Chicago Tribune's blog "Clout Street" into this email.  He has a whole set of updates that keep coming from accounts from City Council.  The vote count - with how local alderman voted - is at the bottom.

Please click the link to see the most current news collected by the blogger.

Cyn

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City Council approves Children's Museum in Grant Park

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2008/06/council-showdow.html

Updated by Dan Mihalopoulos at 1:48 p.m.

The City Council on Wednesday approved plans to build a new Chicago Children's Museum in Grant Park, amid opponents' threats to tie the project up in court.

Over the objections of local Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd), who opposed the plan, the council voted 33-16 in favor of the museum's plan to move from Navy Pier. Mayor Richard Daley, the plan's most powerful supporter, presided over the council vote.

Updated by Dan Mihalopoulos at 12:55 p.m.

Yet another major local institution says its position on the Chicago Children's Museum plan for Grant Park was missrepresented in newspaper ads where the museum listed what it said were supporters.

The Art Institute was listed in the ad in Sunday's Chicago Tribune, but Art Institute spokeswoman Eric Hogan told the Tribune Wednesday that director Jim Cuno's letter to the Children’s Museum was meant “as a personal letter of support” that does not reflect the Art Institute’s position.

“I don’t know that the full board has weighed in” on the Children’s Museum issue, Hogan added.

Officials of the Illinois Institute of Technology and the Lyric Opera of Chicago have responded similarly to seeing their institutions listed in the ad.

Updated by Dan Mihalopoulos at 12:05 p.m.

Ald. Brendan Reilly asked his City Council colleagues to oppose a new Children's Museum in Grant Park on Wednesday, then sat down as alderman after alderman stood to support the plan that has the backing of Mayor Richard Daley.

Reilly won applause from museum critics in the audience when he told colleagues there was "overwhelming public opposition to this move."

But museum supporters packed the council gallery as well and applauded during debate as council members praised the plan to move the museum from Navy Pier.

Ald. Latasha Thomas (17th) said she supports the museum.

"You cannot legislate on the threat of lawsuits," she said. "I cannot imagine a more appropriate place for it - the front yard of our city."

Last weekend, anti-museum activists passed out fliers in the 48th Ward, hoping to sway Ald. Mary Ann Smith to their side. But she announced she will vote for the museum project.

"I have no doubt future generations will be grateful for having the Chicago Children's Museum in Grant Park," she said.

Smith added that the project "will not remove any green space."

Ald. Joe Moore (50th) praised Reilly for how he conducted himself in leading the opposition in the face of Daley and others. He said he would support Reilly.

Moore said supporters have not adequately explained why they insist on building in Grant Park when other neighborhoods would welcome the development. "The question is why here and why not there," Moore said.

How council voted on Children's Museum

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Location: Chicago, IL 60640